THE NEW OXFORD BOOK OF IRISH VERSE

Edited, with translations, by THOMAS KINSELLA

Oxford New York OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1986 CONTENTS

Introduction

BOOK I: FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY

TO THE SIXTH CENTURY ANONYMOUS 1. 'The rath in front of the oak wood' 2. 'Three rounded flanks I loved' 3. 'He is coining, Adzed-Head' DALLAN FORGAILL (attrib.) 4. A Poem in Praise of Colum Cille

From the Latin COLUMBANUS 5. A Boat Song

SEVENTH CENTURY ANONYMOUS 6. The Boyhood of Christ

EIGHTH CENTURY ANONYMOUS 7. Saint Patrick's Breastplate 8. Epitaph for Cu Chuimne BLATHMAC MAC CON BRETTAN 9. from A Poem to Mary

EIGHTH/NINTH CENTURY From The Ulster Cycle {10-13) from Exile of the Sons of Uisliu 10. Two Poems of Derdriu ix CONTENTS

from How the Bulk were Begotten 11. The Two Bulls 19 from The Tain 12. The Armies Enter Cuailnge 20 13. Before the Last Battle 21

ANONYMOUS 14. Toward Winter: Four Fragments 22

NINTH CENTURY ANONYMOUS 15. An Ivied Tree-Top 23 16. TheHagofBeara 23 17. Creide's Lament for Dinertech 27

A Selection of Monastic Poems (18-25) 18. 'All alone in my little cell' 28 19. Four 'Glosses' 30 20. PangurBdn 31 21. 'A busy yellow bee' 32 22. 'A sweet little bell' 32 23. 'Adore we the Lord' 32 24. The Hermit Marban 32 25. from the Prologue to The Calendar of Oengus 36

ANONYMOUS 26. 'First of summer, lovely sight' 38 27. Epitaph for MaelMhuru 40 28. An Insult 40 29. The Lovely Etan 41

From the Latin (30-34) DONATUS (r.829-876) 30. The Land Called Scotia 41

SEDULIUS SCOTTUS (d. 858) 31. Request for Meat and Drink 41 32. Death of a Ram 42 33. from The Defeat of the Norsemen 42 34. 'I read, or write' 44 x CONTENTS

ANONYMOUS 35. 'Getting to Rome' 44 36. 'The wind is wild tonight' 44 37. 'Cold! Cold!' 44 38. 'I bring you news' 45 39. 'Look out there' 46 40. Ltadan and Cuirithir 46 41. Amergin's Songs 47

TENTH CENTURY ANONYMOUS 42. 'I'm ashamed of my thoughts' 50 43. 'Alone up here on the mountain' 51 44. Manchan's Prayer 53 OENGUS C£ILE D£ (/?. late 10th cent.) 45. 'The time is ripe and I repent' 54

ANONYMOUS 46. 'Ah blackbird, giving thanks' 55

ELEVENTH CENTURY ANONYMOUS 47. 'Eve am I' 56

MAEL fsu 6 BROLCHALN(d. 1086) 48. To an Elderly Virgin 56 49. 'My sins in their completeness' 58 50. 'I give Thee thanks, my King' 58

ANONYMOUS 51. Praise of God 59 52. 'A great tempest on the Plain of Ler' 59

From the Latin BISHOP PATRICK (d. 1084) 53. An Invocation 61 xi CONTENTS

ELEVENTH/TWELFTH CENTURY A Selection of Poems attributed to Colum Cille (54—58) 54. 'O Son of God, it would be sweet' 64 55. 'Mary mild, good maiden' 65 56. 'If I owned all of Alba' 67 57. 'Three places most loved I have left' 69 58. 'My claw is tired of scribing' 69 ANONYMOUS 59. The Fort of ArdRuide 70

TWELFTH CENTURY A Selection of Verses attributed to Suibne Geilt 60. 'I am in great misery tonight' 72

A Selection of Fenian Poems (61-66) 61. 'Cold is the winter' 78 62. Creide's Lament for Gael 79 63. Goll Mac Morna Parts from his Wife 81 64. 'There once was a time' 83 65. 'My hands are withered' 83 66. 'The Place of the Fian is bare tonight' 84

ANONYMOUS 67. 'The blackbird calls in grief' 85

THIRTEENTH CENTURY MUIREADHACH ALBANACH 6 DALAIGH (/?. early 13th cent.) 68. 'Mighty Mary, hear me' 87 69. 'Young man of alien beauty' 91 70. 'Last night my soul departed' 95 71. On the Gift of a Knife 97 GIOLLA BRIGHDE MAC CON MIDHE (fl. mid 13th Cent.) 72. A Defence of Poetry . 98

From the Norman French ANONYMOUS 73. from The Fortification of New Ross 102 xii CONTENTS

FOURTEENTH CENTURY GOFRAIDH FIONN 6 DALAIGH (d. 1387) 74. A Child, in Prison 107 GEAR0ID IARLA MAC GEARAILT (d. 1398) 75. 'Woe to him who slanders women' 110

Early English ANONYMOUS 76. 'Icham of Irlaunde' 111 77. 'Alas! How should I sing?' HI 78. The Land of Cokaygne 111 BROTHER MICHAEL OF KILD ARE (/?. early 14th Cent.) 79. Swet Jesus 117

BOOK II: FROM THE FOURTEENTH TO THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

FOURTEENTH/FIFTEENTH CENTURY TADHG 6G 6 HUIGfNN (d. 1448) 80. Lament for Fearghal Ruadh 125

FIFTEENTH CENTURY ANONYMOUS 81. 'You are desolate, fort of kings' 129 82. 'Monk, step further off 129

English ANONYMOUS 83. from/4 Letter sent by the Mayor and Inhabitants of the CitieofWaterford. . . 130

FIFTEENTH/SIXTEENTH CENTURY: ANONYMOUS LOVE POETRY 84. 'Keep your kiss to yourself' 132

xiii CONTENTS 85. 'Take my song of love to heart' 132 86. 'I will not die for you' 133 87. 'You that are jealous and have a wife' 133 88. 'Sir, so suspicious' 134 89. A Glance 135 90. 'Lady of shrouding hair' 135 91. 'It is far from just between us' 136 92. 'No sickness worse than secret love' 136 93. 'Do not torment me, lady' 137 94. 'Men's loving is a false affection' 137

English 95. Translation of an Irish Song 138

SIXTEENTH CENTURY

MAGHNAS 6 DOMHNAILL (d. 1563) 96. 'A heart made full of thought' 139 97. 'A famished end to my tale this night' 139 98. 'Love, I think, is a disease' 140

LOCHLANN <5G 6 DALAIGH (fl. mid 16th cent.) 99. In Praise of Three Young Men 140

TADHG DALL 6 HUIGfNN (1550-1591) 100. A Visit to Enniskillen 143 101. A Satire on the 0 'Haras 148

LAOISEACH MAC AN BHAIRD (fl. late 16th cent.) 102. 'A fond greeting, hillock there' 149 103. Two Sons 150

ANONYMOUS 104. Company in Loneliness 152

English ANONYMOUS 105. from The Praise of Wateiford 154 106. A Postscript to Verses on the History of France 155 xiv CONTENTS

SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ANONYMOUS 107. The Scholar's Life 156 108. 'There are three who await my death' 156 109. Three Epigrams 157 EOCHAIDH 6 HEOGHUSA (fl. late i6th-early 17th cent.) no. A Change in Style 158 HI. Mag Uidhir's Winter Campaign 159

FEAR FLATHA 6 GNfMH (fl. early 17th cent.) 112. After the Flight of the Earls 162 113. The Passing of the Poets 164 MATHGHAMHAIN 6 HIFEARNAIN (fl. early 17th cent.) 114. 'I ask, who will buy a poem?' 167 SEATHRON C£ITINN (1580-C.1644) 115. 'At the news from Fal's high plain' 168 116. 'O lady full of guile' 169

PADRAIGfN HAICfiAD (f.1600-1654) 117. On Hearing it has been Ordered in the Chapterhouses of Ireland that the Friars make no more Songs or Verses 170

PIARAS FEIRITFIAR (F.1600-1653) 118. 'Lay your weapons down, young lady' 170

DAiBHf 6 BRUADAIR(C.1625—1698) 119. Adoramus Te, Christe 172 120. 'O it's best be a total boor' 172 121. For the Family of Cuchonnacht 0 Dalaigh 173 122. 'A shrewish, barren, bony, nosy servant' 174

TOMAS 'LAIDIR' MAC COISDEALBHAIGH (fl. mid 17th cent.) (attrib.) 123. UnaBhdn 174

English LUKE WADDING (1588-1657) 124. For Innocents Day 175 125. On the Circumsision: New Years Day 176 xv CONTENTS ANONYMOUS Two Ballads of the Williamite Wars 126. LilliBurlero 178 127. The Boyne Water 179

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

S£AMAS DALL MAC CUARTA (£1650-1733) (trans, from the Irish) 128. 'The houses of Corr an Chait are cold' 181

JONATHAN SWIFT (1667-1745) 129. On Stella's Birthday: Written AD iji8-[ig] 181 130. The Description of an Irish Feast. . . 182 131. The Progress of Poetry 184 132. Clever Tom Clinch Going to be Hanged 186 133. Holyhead. Sept. 25, 1727 186 134. from The Life and Character of Dean Swift 187 135. from Verses on the Death of Dr Swift 189

AOGAN 6 RATHAILLE (F. 1675-1729) (trans, from the Irish) 136. 'Brightness most bright I beheld on the way, forlorn' 195 137. 'The drenching night drags on' 196 138. The Vision 197 139. Valentine Browne 198 140. 'No help I'll call' 199

CATHAL BUF MAC GIOLLA GHUNNA (^1680-1756) (trans, from the Irish) 141. The Yellow Bittern 200

OLIVER GOLDSMITH (1728-1774) 142. from The Traveller. On Freedom and Ambition 201 143. from The Deserted Village 203 144. A Sonnet 210 145. Translation of a South American Ode 210 146. Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog 210 147. Song-, from The Vicar of Wakefield 211 148. Song: from She Stoops to Conquer 212 149. hom Retaliation 212 xvi CONTENTS EOGHAN RUA 6 SOILLEABHAIN (1748-1784) (trans, from the Irish) 150. from 'Seamas, light-hearted and loving friend of my breast' 215 151. A Magic Mist - 216 ANONYMOUS (trans, from the Irish) 152. Two Epigrams 218

EIBHLfN DHUBH Nf CHONAILL (fl. 1770) (trans, from the Irish) 153. from The Lament for Art 0 Laoghaire 219

BRIAN MERRIMAN (1749-1805) (trans, from the Irish) 154. The Midnight Court 222

RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN (1751-1816) 155. Drinking Song: from The School for Scandal 247 156. Song: from The Duenna 248

SEVENTEENTH TO NINETEENTH CENTURIES: FOLK POETRY Folk Poems and Songs, Prayers and Charms from the Irish 157. 'It is well for small birds' 249 158. 'My own dark head' 249 159. 'My grief on the ocean' 250 160. 'Remember that night' 250 161. Yourself and Myself 251 162. Little Black Rose 252 163. CillChais 253 164. The Widow's Curse 254 165. To the Holy Trinity 254 166. A Charm for Lighting the Fire 254 167. A Charm for Lome and Lasting Affection 255

Ballads in English 168. The Blackbird 255 169. The Shan Van Vocht 256 170. The Wearin'0'the Green 257 171. The Croppy Boy 258 xvii CONTENTS 172. 'General wonder in our land' 259 173. The Orange Lily 260 174. The Night Before Larry was Stretched 261

BOOK III: THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES

ANTOINE RAiFTEiRf (1784-1835) (trans, from the Irish) 175. 'I am Raifteiri, the poet' 267 THOMAS MOORE (1779-1852) 176. 'She is far from the land' 267 177. ' 'Tis the last rose of summer' 268 178. 'Dear Harp of my Country' 268 179. The Meeting of the Waters 269 180. 'Oh! blame not the bard' 269 181. 'Oh! where's the slave so lowly' 270 182. The Petition of the Orangemen ofIreland 271 JAMES CLARENCE MANGAN (1803-1849) 183. DarkRosaleen 273 184. The Nameless One 275 185. 0 'Hussey's Ode to the Maguire 277 186. Kathaleen Ny-Houlahan 279 187. Lament over the Ruins of the Abbey of Teach Molaga 280 188. A Vision of Connaught in the Thirteenth Century 282 189. The Woman of Three Cows 284 190. Good Counsel 285 191. To Sultan Murad II 285 192. A Song from the Coptic 286 193. Siberia 286 SAMUEL FERGUSON (181O-1886) 194. The Burial of King Cormac 288 195. Aideen's Grave 291 196. Deirdre's Lament for the Sons ofUsnach 296 197. At the Polo-Ground 298 198. Lament for Thomas Davis 301 THOMAS DAVIS (1814-1845) 199. Lament for the Death ofEoghan Ruadh O'Neill 303 200. A Nation Once Again 305 xviii CONTENTS

WILLIAM ALLINGHAM (1824-1889) 201. from Laurence Bloomfield in Ireland Lord Crashton: The Absentee Landlord 306 The Eviction 307 202. 'Four ducks on a pond' 308 W. B. YEATS (1865-1939) 203. To Ireland in the Coming Times 309 204. Red Hanrahan's Song about Ireland 310 205. On Those that Hated 'The Playboy Of The Western World', igoj 310 206. Easter igi6 311 207. The Seven Sages 313 208. Coole Park and Ballylee, 1931 313 209. The Circus Animals'Desertion 315 PADRAIG 6 HFIIGEARTAIGH (1871-1936) (trans, from the Irish) . 210. 'My sorrow, Donncha' 316 J. M. SYNGE (1871-1909) 211. On an Anniversary 318 212. To the Oaks of Glencree 318 213. A Question 318 214. Winter 319 215. The Curse 319 p. H. PEARSE (1879-1916) 216. Renunciation (trans, from the Irish by the author) 319 PADRAIC COLUM (1881-1972) 217. A Poor Scholar of the Forties 320 218. An Old Woman of the Roads 321 219. She Moved Through the Fair 322 FRANCIS LEDWIDGE (1887-1917) 220. June 323 221. A Fear 323 222. Thomas MacDonagh 324 AUSTIN CLARKE (1896-1974) 223. Tenebrae 324 224. from Civil War 325 225. The Straying Student 325

xix CONTENTS 226. Penal Law 326 227. Her Voice Could Not Be Softer 327 228. Martha Blake at Fifty-One 327 229. Japanese Print 332 230. Anacreontic 332

PATRICK KAVANAGH (1904-1967) 231. Sanctity 333 232. On Looking into E. V. Rieu's Homer 333 233. Kerr'sAss 334 234. Epic 334 235. Canal Bank Walk 335 236. Lines Written on a Seat on the Grand Canal. . . 335

SAMUEL BECKETT (1906- ) 237. Two Poems: 1 Cascando 336 2 Saint-Ld 337 238. Four Poems: 1 Dieppe 337 2 'my way is in the sand flowing' 337 3 'what would I dp without this world faceless incurious' 338 4 'I would like my love to die' 338

PADRAIC FALLON (1906-1974) 239. Kiltartan Legend 339 240. Lakshmi 340 241. Assumption 341 242. Painting of my Father 342

LOUIS MACNEICE (1907-1963) 243. Carrickfergus 345 244. The Sunlight on the Garden 346 245. Autobiography 347 246. House on a Cliff 348 247. Soap Suds 349

DENIS DEVLIN (1908-1959) 248. from Memoirs of a Turcoman Diplomat 349 249. Ank'hor Vat 352 250. The Lancet 353 251. Venus of the Salty Shell 354 xx CONTENTS 252. Wishes for Her 355 253. Little Elegy 356 MAIRTIN 6 DIREAIN (1910- ) (trans, from the Irish) 254. Homage to John Millington Synge 358

SEAN 6 RIORDAIN (1916-1977) (trans, from the Irish) 255. Death 359 256. Claustrophobia 359 257. Ice Cold 360 258. TheMoths 360

VALENTIN IREMONGER(L9L8- ) 259. The Toy Horse 361 260. This Houre Her Vigil 361

RICHARD MURPHY (1927- ) from The Battle ofAughrim (261-5) 261. Rapparees 362 262. Wolfhound 363 263. Green Martyrs 364 264. Orange March 365 265. Casement's Funeral 365 266. High Island 366 THOMAS KINSELLA (1928- ) 267. A Hand of Solo 367 268. Ancestor 369 269. Tear 370 270. Wyncote, Pennsylvania: A Gloss 373

JOHN MONTAGUE (1929- ) 271. Above the Pool 373 272. All Legendary Obstacles 374 273. Hero's Portion 375 274. Mother Cat 377

SEAMUS HEANEY(L939~ ) 275. Docker 378 276. Bogland 378 277. Sunlight 379 278. A Constable Calls 380 279. The Guttural Muse 381 xxi CONTENTS

DEREK MAHON (1941— ) 280. A Disused Shed in Co. Wexford 382 281. Deny Morning 384 282. The Woods 385 SEAMUS DEANE(l94I- ) 283. Scholar I 386 284. Scholar II 387 MICHAEL HARTNETT (1941- ) 285. All That is Left. . . 388 286. /Have Heard Them Knock 389 287. The possibility that has been overlooked is the future 389 288. horn A Farewell to English 390

Explanatory and Biographical Notes 393 Sources and Acknowledgements 410 Index of First Lines 415 Index of Authors 423

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